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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall an entertaining read but marginally... I liked the sexual tension between two of the characters. Writing felt "basic" at times so it didnt keep me too interested. I will be reading the second book though because enough was left unsolved to make me interested to keep going. Not my favorite fantasy/fiction. I wasn't as invested as I would have liked.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I read this for book club and while a lot of my club members couldn’t stand Diem I found her lovable despite her many flaws and trust me she has a lot. This book is us watching her make terrible spur of the moment decisions and then regretting them later. But I loved it, loved Luther, loved the unique world it’s definitely different than some other things I’ve read recently. I had a great time
I should have believed all the reviews calling Diem the worst FMC ever. She is dumb, immature and impulsive. I don't think I can continue this series because I get irrationally angry at her decisions.
I enjoyed the world building, the little bit that's there. And the end kinda makes me want to read book 2 but dann Diem is really annoying as hell.
I enjoyed the world building, the little bit that's there. And the end kinda makes me want to read book 2 but dann Diem is really annoying as hell.
dnf’d i don’t know how deep in but i can’t believe how popular this book is on reddit because the writing was not it
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This has been a long time on my tbr and I really do wish I had read it sooner.
'Spark of the Everflame' is the first book in Penn Cole's The Kindred Curse Saga. Diem Bellator and her family live on the outskirts of Mortal City. Her mother works as a healer and her father is a retirement army commander. Raised as her mother's shadow in learning the healing arts and taught self defence by her father Deim lives a sheltered life kept away from the Descended. The Descended, children of the gods, who took over the mortal lands ages ago rule the realms, enjoying all the spoils and keeping the mortals in near poverty. But when the Descended King of Diems realm begins to die and her mother who was caring for him disappears Diem find herself being drawn farther and farther into their glittering world.
spoilers
I have flip flopping thoughts on this. I very much enjoyed it and quickly dove into book 2 but there was something missing from this book, it was hollow in a weird way. One which was present in the second book. I enjoyed Diem, Ive heard so much that shes annoying and I kept waiting for her to do things that drove me nuts but it never happened. I think for me she makes sense, the first half of the book, shes strong confident, she knows who she is, where she fits in life. Then everything is flipped upside down. Her world is shook. She starts making dumb choices and stupid mistakes but would you be perfect if your life is shattered. The things she messes up made sense to me. Putting too much faith in the old tried and tested. Leaning on Henri when anyone with eyes can see she needs to break free of him matches human nature I think when everything else is uncertain. She joins the rebels and does the missions for him to try to keep him. If theres anything that's annoying it's Henri. The hold he has over her is too much and sad and I cant wait to see her step free of it and be her own person.
The pacing is one of the better parts of the book. I don't remember any moments of it getting bogged down or slow, its quick its consistent, it just keeps going, you want to keep reading. The ending was perfect in that it gives you just enough that you're not pissed off on a cliff hanger but of course need to start the next one right away.
I also loved that you get the sense that Diem and Luther are end game but you don't see them get together right away. I don't understand slow burns when they get together in book one when theres more than one or two books in the series so im glad with four books it didnt happen here. What didnt make sense to me was how she talked back to Luther so much, so comfortably, in front of other Descended. She barely knows the guy and except for when they first meet and shes healing Lily, I don't understand where she gets the nerve to talk at him the way she does. It doesnt fully match her character or the atmosphere of a world where mortals are killed for the smallest infraction. I felt like maybe it's trying to show how she feels an instant connection to him, probably some version of mates, but it didnt sell me on her behaviour when at the palace.
I have high hopes for the rest of the series.
'Spark of the Everflame' is the first book in Penn Cole's The Kindred Curse Saga. Diem Bellator and her family live on the outskirts of Mortal City. Her mother works as a healer and her father is a retirement army commander. Raised as her mother's shadow in learning the healing arts and taught self defence by her father Deim lives a sheltered life kept away from the Descended. The Descended, children of the gods, who took over the mortal lands ages ago rule the realms, enjoying all the spoils and keeping the mortals in near poverty. But when the Descended King of Diems realm begins to die and her mother who was caring for him disappears Diem find herself being drawn farther and farther into their glittering world.
spoilers
I have flip flopping thoughts on this. I very much enjoyed it and quickly dove into book 2 but there was something missing from this book, it was hollow in a weird way. One which was present in the second book. I enjoyed Diem, Ive heard so much that shes annoying and I kept waiting for her to do things that drove me nuts but it never happened. I think for me she makes sense, the first half of the book, shes strong confident, she knows who she is, where she fits in life. Then everything is flipped upside down. Her world is shook. She starts making dumb choices and stupid mistakes but would you be perfect if your life is shattered. The things she messes up made sense to me. Putting too much faith in the old tried and tested. Leaning on Henri when anyone with eyes can see she needs to break free of him matches human nature I think when everything else is uncertain. She joins the rebels and does the missions for him to try to keep him. If theres anything that's annoying it's Henri. The hold he has over her is too much and sad and I cant wait to see her step free of it and be her own person.
The pacing is one of the better parts of the book. I don't remember any moments of it getting bogged down or slow, its quick its consistent, it just keeps going, you want to keep reading. The ending was perfect in that it gives you just enough that you're not pissed off on a cliff hanger but of course need to start the next one right away.
I also loved that you get the sense that Diem and Luther are end game but you don't see them get together right away. I don't understand slow burns when they get together in book one when theres more than one or two books in the series so im glad with four books it didnt happen here. What didnt make sense to me was how she talked back to Luther so much, so comfortably, in front of other Descended. She barely knows the guy and except for when they first meet and shes healing Lily, I don't understand where she gets the nerve to talk at him the way she does. It doesnt fully match her character or the atmosphere of a world where mortals are killed for the smallest infraction. I felt like maybe it's trying to show how she feels an instant connection to him, probably some version of mates, but it didnt sell me on her behaviour when at the palace.
I have high hopes for the rest of the series.
